Buckle.



PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906. A. S. MERRILL & H. M. HOWARD.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1905.

31 wanton) UNITED STATES PATENT QFETGE.

ALVER S. MERRILL AND HENRY M. HOWARD, OF BEULAH, MICHIGAN.

, BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern."

Be it known that we, ALVER S. MERRILL and HENRY M. HOWARD, citizens of the United States, residing at Beulah, in the county of Benzie and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to buckles; and its object is to provide a device of this character particularly adapted for use upon reins employed with a'team of horses and adapted to connect the main line with the brace-line in such a manner as to permit the two to be separated without pulling the line through the buckle.

The invention consists of a ring-like buckle formed of two substantially similar sections, one of which has a cross-bar integral with it. The other section is rotatably mounted on this cross-bar. A lug extends from the central portion of the cross-bar and is adapted to engage the main line, while the brace-line has one end secured permanently to the crossbar. The ends of the members of the buckle are beveled to facilitate the removal and replacing of the main line from or within the buckle, respectively.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown the preferred form of our invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the main line and brace-line connected by means of our improved buckle. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the other side of the buckle and the lines. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the buckle and lines. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the buckle open in position to allow the removal of the main line therefrom. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the buckle detached, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section therethrough.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 and 2 are substantially semicircular members which constitute the buckle, and the member 1 hasan integral cross-bar 3 eX- tending from the center thereof, said bar being slightly depressed out of the plane in which the members 1 and 2 are located and its free end constituting a pivot for said member 2. The member 2 is mounted at its center upon the bar 3, and its ends overlap the ends of the member 1 and extend to opposite sides thereof. These ends of member 2 are beveled on both sides, as shown at 4, while the ends of member 1 are beveled on one side only, as shown at 5, said beveled portions being adapted to be contacted by the ends 4, so that the two members 1 and 2 can overlap and at the same time lie in the same plane and in contact. A lug 6 projects laterally from the center of cross-rod 3 and is adapted to engage any one of a series of openings 7, formed in the main line 8. The brace-line 9 has one end permanently connected to the crossbar by means of a loop, as shown at 10.

In connecting the main line 8 to the braceline 9 it is merely necessary to swing the pivoted member 2 of the buckle into the position shown in Fig. 4, after which the main line 8 may be inserted between the ends of the two members 1 and 2 and the lug 6 placed in one of the apertures 7. After the line has been thus arranged the member 2 is swung upon its pivot until one of its beveled ends 4 comes in contact with the main line 8, after which said line is pressed under said beveled end, so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. The upper member 2 is then swung against the ends of the member 1 and will be held tightly thereagainst by the line 8 when taut. To remove the line 8, it is necessary to first swing the member 2 into the position shown in Fig. 4, then to slip the line 8 between the ends 5 and the adjoining ends 4. Byproviding a buckle such as herein described upon team-lines the main line will not pull through the buckle, and the same can be readily separated or disconnected from the brace-line 9.

We attach importance to the fact that the buckle is substantially circular in form, be-

sented thereby to the harness or to the horse. Moreover, by beveling the ends of the buckle members the operation of placing the main line within or removing it from the buckle is greatly facilitated. Then, too, it will be noticed that the buckle is formed of but two members, to wit: the member 1 with crossbar 3 and lug 6, and the member 2. The buckle can therefore be placed upon the market at a slight cost and is at the same time durable as well as attractive.

cause no sharp edges or corners will be pre- Having thus fully described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A buckle comprising oppositely-disposed bowed members having overlapping ends, a cross-bar integral With one of the members and extending therefrom at a point equidistant from the ends of said member, one of'the ends of the cross-bar projecting into the other member at a point equidistant from the ends of said member, and constituting a pivot therefor, and a line-engaging lug extending from said bar.

2. Abuckle comprising oppositely disposed bowed members, one of said members having its ends beveled on both sides, and the other member having each end beveled on one side, the ends of the two members being adapted to overlap, a cross-bar inte ral with one of the members and extending t erei'rom at a point equidistant from its ends, one end of said cross-bar projecting into the other member at a point equidistant from the ends thereof, and constituting a pivot for said member, and a line-engaging lug extending from the center of said bar.

In testimonywhereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ALVER S. MERRILL. HENRY M. HOWARD. Witnesses:

P. A. REED, MARY A. REED. 

